KINGSTON >> Police have identified and charged a 20-year-old High Falls man, a week and a half after he was shot by an Ulster County sheriff’s deputy following a lengthy vehicle pursuit, but still have not identified the deputy involved or explained why he discharged his weapon.

In a press release issued early Saturday morning, the Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Brandon M. Rifenburg, 20, of 296 Kyserike Road, High Falls.

The release stated that Rifenburg was released from hospital care at about 5:20 p.m. Friday and was taken into custody. He was charged with grand larceny, three counts of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of stolen property, all felonies; and unlawful fleeing of a police officer, reckless endangerment of property, criminal nuisance, all misdemeanors; and 20 traffic infractions, according to the release, which stated that additional charges may be filed.

The chase began shortly after a 10:30 p.m. April 15 report was received of a car stolen from a residence in Marbletown, the release stated. The release further stated that Rifenburg allegedly took the vehicle following a dispute with a family member, which is information not previously reported by authorities.

Advertisement

The chase proceeded through Rosendale, the town of Ulster, and the city of Kingston, deputies stated. According to the narrative issued Saturday by the Sheriff’s Office: “the vehicle struck a fence in the vicinity of the intersection of Thomas Street and Fashion Lane in Kingston. The vehicle continued through the Towns of Ulster, Saugerties and Kingston, ending in the Town of Hurley despite being damaged after the deployment of tire deflation devices on two separate occasions and lost control of the vehicle after attempting to ram two pursuing police cars. The suspect was shot twice in the chest in the course of being taken into custody by a uniformed deputy sheriff of this agency.”

A previous official account had stated the suspect vehicle swerved into an Ulster County Sheriff’s vehicle and both vehicles went off the road, with the shooting following.

Previous accounts had not included the deployment of tire-deflation devices nor alleged the suspect’s attempt to ram two pursuing police cars.

The initial account by law enforcement officials did not specify how many times the suspect was shot. The release issued Saturday did not disclose how many times a weapon was discharged during the incident, whether the vehicle taken by Rifenburg belonged to a family member, or whether the suspect was armed or resisted arrest after the vehicles left the roadway.

Rifenburg was arraigned in Hurley town court and taken to Ulster County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash or $10,000 secured bond, deputies stated.

The repeated refusal of Ulster County law enforcement officials to identify the sheriff’s deputy or the man he shot after the pursuit is “not consistent” with state law, a state official charged with safeguarding access to public information said this week.

“How could it be that the identity of a public employee who was acting in the performance of his or her duties be anything but public?” said Robert Freeman, executive director of the New York State Committee on Open Government.

“There’s no indication by releasing that person’s identity that he or she did anything wrong. Similarly, in my opinion, the identity of the victim in this instance should be disclosed. Details regarding the investigation might justifiably be withheld. However, those minimal items of information, in my view, should always be public,” Freeman said prior to the Saturday identification of the suspect.

Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright previously declined to say whether speed, alcohol or snowy conditions were a factor.

The suspect was shot intentionally while being taken into custody, Carnright said previously. He would not comment on whether the suspect resisted arrest, attempted to flee or attacked the deputy. After the deputy stopped the suspect and attempted to take him into custody, he purposely shot the man at least twice and maybe three times in the torso, according to Carnright.

The suspect was taken to Albany Medical Center immediately following the shooting and was listed in critical condition, authorities said earlier.

In a statement issued April 16, Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum stated, “I have asked the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Forensic Investigations Unit and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office to conduct the investigation into this incident. The Sheriff’s Office will participate and cooperate fully.”

Carnright has declined to release further details, citing the grand jury investigation. Last week, he told a Freeman reporter that it was “standard procedure” to withhold information like names while the case is pending before a grand jury.

The Freeman emailed a Freedom of Information request to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office on April 22.

Sheriff Paul VanBlarcum responded on April 25, stating, “Your request is denied pursuant to Section 87(2) (e)(i) of the Public Officers Law, on the grounds that the incident is still under investigation.”

Two more Freedom of Information request emails requesting the names and details of the incident were sent to the district attorney and state police on April 23. Neither had responded as of Friday.

On April 23, Cpt. Michael Freer of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office declined to identify the victim. He said no arrest was made “because (the victim) went to the hospital and that’s where he still is.”

The decision not to make an arrest meant that no arrest record had been created. Arrest records are public documents.

Freer said on April 23 that an arrest would be made “at an appropriate time,” but said he could not say when that might be. “I don’t know. Holley (Carnright) is running the show. We want to coordinate everything with the District Attorney’s Office. We’ll have to wait and see.”

In an emailed statement Friday, Carnright said, “regarding the officer involved shooting matter, the victim in that case remains hospitalized in stable condition. I am told his release from the hospital should be sometime early next week. Upon his release from the hospital I anticipate that Sheriff VanBlarcum and I will each issue additional information concerning that case.”

Freeman, meanwhile, said the longer authorities withhold vital information, the “more interesting it becomes, the more people will think there’s been some kind of wrongdoing, which may not be the case at all.”